It involved a lot of waiting time... a lot! Made appointment two days ago, so at 915am was at Causeway Point. I was already in the lift to 5th floor but there's one guy who needed to alight at level 3. So the door opened, he went out and at the same time the rest of us inside the lift heard this alarm... you know, the sound that lifts made when someone got stuck inside it?! But we chose to ignore coz our lift seemed alright.. but we noticed that our previous selections were all gone and the lift made its way back to level 1 (like it has a life of its own!)
After which, all lifts remained powerless and so we can't go anywhere as the shopping area are not open to public yet (still too early!). No one knows what happened. Then after waiting for 10 mins, it looked like its not resuming anytime soon... so the guard opened the gate for the escalators. Climbed up to 5th floor coz the power not on!
After registration and everything, then must take urine sample. The nurse said, "Mid-stream and half a bottle." Wah... nmid-stream somemore.. wow! Then come ECG time.. I did the stationary one where we're to lie on bed and remain motionless while the machine is measuring. The nurse said, "Try to relax.. your heart is beating very fast." It should.. since I climbed 5 floors up! Haha!
Then take weight and height measurements, and simple eye sight test. After that wait somemore... at about 1040am, then my turn to see doc. Got see ear, listen to heartbeat, reflex test, breast examination and something that I wasn't aware but is included in the package.. the digital rectum test! :~( Which involved a finger and the backside. She said, "This is going to be slightly uncomfortable." After she did what she needed to do, I told her... "Nearly dieded." Hahaha! After taking the blood samples, I was free to go.
I also learnt that for Thalassemia - take folic acid, don't take iron.
27 January, 2010
17 January, 2010
Things from Japan Trip
Spent most on food items.
So far, have only eaten Tokyo Banana original flavor.. so wanted to try the chocolate one.
Tokyo Banana Kurobe, 1050 yen
inside box
choco cake and same fillings as original flavor
I like both original and kurobe. Soft and nice. Then Gina said her Japanese friend recommended strawberry cake. Saw this, so decided to try as well.
strawberry cake from Ginza (same as Tokyo Banana!)
inside box, pretty right?
so cute the strawberry motif on the cake itself
ichigo cream
Texture of the strawberry cake is exactly like Tokyo Banana, only its smaller and cuter. I think like Tokyo Banana better!
Next, also bought cheesecake from Mitsukoshi. I liked it that they wrapped the item so nicely.
cheesecake
The taste is quite light.. not bad la.
The convenience stores in Japan sure have lots of different types of Pocky. Bought some for fun.
so colorful hor? Think they're not found in Singapore.. yet
Another item that I wanted to get from Japan was.. green tea. Just wanted to see if the taste is any different from Singapore imported ones (different brand).
haven't try this one yet.. which is bought from supermarket.. but the one from Tsukiji Maruyama Nori, was good! Of course, the one at Tsukiji was expensive.. 830 yen per pack.
exquisite looking stuffs from Gina, thanks!
Then there are things that friends asked to get from Japan.
Quite motivated to buy cosmetics stuffs as it seemed the discount is not bad.. so gotten this for self.
Kanebo's Suisai II range
Haven't check out the price of this in Singapore.. hopefully, Japan's one cheaper~! But buying this was an experience in itself. Imagine asking the lady who do not really speak English.. and then me, who has limited simplest vocab of Japanese... haha! But managed to ask if these stuffs are for moisturizing, suitable for entire face (she said even the eye area can put!) and of coz for my combi skin type and for the right age group... hehe, the cosmetic ppl in Japan's pharmacy shop has this chart that categorized the products into suitability for age groups and skin types. Cool..
Today I just found out that Nivea's skin milk is so cheap in Singapore. The big bottle is only $6.60 at Watsons. I bought this tiny thing... for like almost the same price as the bigger bottle ones.. sob sob...
more expensive than Singapore
But no choice.. towards the 5th day, I noticed the skin on my arms, thighs, legs.. were peeling and wrinkly!
So far, have only eaten Tokyo Banana original flavor.. so wanted to try the chocolate one.
Tokyo Banana Kurobe, 1050 yen
inside box
choco cake and same fillings as original flavor
I like both original and kurobe. Soft and nice. Then Gina said her Japanese friend recommended strawberry cake. Saw this, so decided to try as well.
strawberry cake from Ginza (same as Tokyo Banana!)
inside box, pretty right?
so cute the strawberry motif on the cake itself
ichigo cream
Texture of the strawberry cake is exactly like Tokyo Banana, only its smaller and cuter. I think like Tokyo Banana better!
Next, also bought cheesecake from Mitsukoshi. I liked it that they wrapped the item so nicely.
cheesecake
The taste is quite light.. not bad la.
The convenience stores in Japan sure have lots of different types of Pocky. Bought some for fun.
so colorful hor? Think they're not found in Singapore.. yet
Another item that I wanted to get from Japan was.. green tea. Just wanted to see if the taste is any different from Singapore imported ones (different brand).
haven't try this one yet.. which is bought from supermarket.. but the one from Tsukiji Maruyama Nori, was good! Of course, the one at Tsukiji was expensive.. 830 yen per pack.
exquisite looking stuffs from Gina, thanks!
Then there are things that friends asked to get from Japan.
Quite motivated to buy cosmetics stuffs as it seemed the discount is not bad.. so gotten this for self.
Kanebo's Suisai II range
Haven't check out the price of this in Singapore.. hopefully, Japan's one cheaper~! But buying this was an experience in itself. Imagine asking the lady who do not really speak English.. and then me, who has limited simplest vocab of Japanese... haha! But managed to ask if these stuffs are for moisturizing, suitable for entire face (she said even the eye area can put!) and of coz for my combi skin type and for the right age group... hehe, the cosmetic ppl in Japan's pharmacy shop has this chart that categorized the products into suitability for age groups and skin types. Cool..
Today I just found out that Nivea's skin milk is so cheap in Singapore. The big bottle is only $6.60 at Watsons. I bought this tiny thing... for like almost the same price as the bigger bottle ones.. sob sob...
more expensive than Singapore
But no choice.. towards the 5th day, I noticed the skin on my arms, thighs, legs.. were peeling and wrinkly!
11 January, 2010
Tokyo Trip - 1st Jan 2010 Final Installment
So fast! It's gone... somewhat refusing to believe that the trip has now come to an end..
It was a cold morning.. and we took the Narita Limousine service.. which is essentially, a bus. Sounds good eh? Anyway, it's a worthwhile ride, as it passes by Odaiba and from the highway you can see interesting landmarks.
Reached the airport quite early, and the temperature was at around 2-4 degrees celcius. Coldest amongst all the days that we were there...
airport
Shopping at the airport is good, coz its duty free! Haha, but didn't see any Tokyo Banana Kurobe there.. so heng.. I still got mine. Otherwise, the normal Tokyo Banana is sold at about 100 yen cheaper than outside of airport.
Very soon, we were up high in the air again.. heading towards Singapore.
the view remained more or less like this...
For some strange reason, the pics that I took of the meal onboard are all individual dish pics. Haha!
fish set
dessert
not sure what this is.. but it tasted fine
anyone know what this is?
thicker clouds
land ahoy!
And so, we've landed safely back in Singapore and back to reality...
Thanks Gina for handling the flight and hotel bookings!
It was a cold morning.. and we took the Narita Limousine service.. which is essentially, a bus. Sounds good eh? Anyway, it's a worthwhile ride, as it passes by Odaiba and from the highway you can see interesting landmarks.
Reached the airport quite early, and the temperature was at around 2-4 degrees celcius. Coldest amongst all the days that we were there...
airport
Shopping at the airport is good, coz its duty free! Haha, but didn't see any Tokyo Banana Kurobe there.. so heng.. I still got mine. Otherwise, the normal Tokyo Banana is sold at about 100 yen cheaper than outside of airport.
Very soon, we were up high in the air again.. heading towards Singapore.
the view remained more or less like this...
For some strange reason, the pics that I took of the meal onboard are all individual dish pics. Haha!
fish set
dessert
not sure what this is.. but it tasted fine
anyone know what this is?
thicker clouds
land ahoy!
And so, we've landed safely back in Singapore and back to reality...
Thanks Gina for handling the flight and hotel bookings!
10 January, 2010
Tokyo Trip - 31 December 2009
It's new year's eve, and we're off to Asakusa to see the Sensoji temple, or otherwise known as the Asakusa Kannon temple.
Arrived at the Asakusa station, and chose one auspicious exit...
Apparently, sightseeing tours by rickshaw is popular in Asakusa...
rickshaw sightseeing tour
I think there's more than 1 operator..
interesting costume
But these guys speaks in Japanese, so not sure if gaijin are supposed to take the tour or just locals. I've seen female pullers as well.. strong ya!
Another thing I've noticed in Asakusa was that the people who ride bicycles, rode it fast and furious.. especially at traffic lights... swooosh! They'll zoom past you criss cross the junction as they're in a hurry to catch the green light!
mild riders, for illustration haha!
Soon, we found shopping area and hence, took time to look at their wares...
shopping area
There's this shop that sells all bags at 10,000 yen. Quite cool. I also found a shop selling blueberry.. that looked like burberry haha!
we were at this area first.. i think this one not Nakamise right?
Got lots of interesting stuffs to see, for example:
shop selling... trunks?!
Soon we moved out to the outdoor area.
I like all these rustic feel kind of shops.
interesting figurine, i think its to prevent vehicles from coming into that area
Also noticed that some shops have interesting features:
figurine on the roof
another figurine for the kimono shop
another one here!
Omoshiroii desu! The back alley seemed less crowded, so usually I'll take that route.
quiet back alley
Saw this interesting toy shop that sells retro toys.. or rather, limited edition retro ones?
cool, right?
After which, I lost the kids and their mom! So after texting Gina to inform her of the situation, I went on a semi sightseeing semi looking out for the lost sheeps.
feels like festivities
Sensoji priests residence?
It sure felt peaceful looking inside Denbo-in, but outside sure got alot of people heading towards the temple.
look at the crowd..
five storey pagoda.. i think
Outside, there are stalls selling auspicious stuffs. But got this one stall that has Hello Kitty items!
i think these are charms?
Didn't go inside the temple, so moved about the area exploring nooks and corners...
walk and walk...
interesting shop that has a samurai picture, but is actually an antique shop
But what caught my attention, were these:
so beautiful, right?
Then I walked past these:
old and rustic
modern buildings.. of course, when i see this.. i was already a little lost
Then, best if I go and seek some divine help...
greeted by this dragon...
It's actually a shrine for the raccoon or known as tanuki in Japanese. Apparently I'm at the Chingodo shrine. It is said that Otanuki-sama, is a deity believed to protect people and their homes from calamities like fire and theft. In the same hall, there's also a statue of Mizuko Jizo, of which according to wikipedia, Mizuko refers to unborn children or infants who have died.
There's a beautiful pond and garden, beyond Chingodo shrine.
Then I walked and walked again, and I saw these:
still lost...
must check properly..
oooh.. i've reached kaminarimon
thunder gate
But I was also cold and hungry.. wind was blowing till it toppled a couple of those parked bicycle!
getting ready for the evening
So went to find food. Passed by alot of those drinking joints.. and oden stalls, but I thought it'd be difficult to order since I my Japanese is just half-past six.. so chose a ramen shop (vending machine style).
hot ramen on a cold day.. itadakimasu! (costs 290 yen only!)
The snacks around that area seemed to be crackers. Found one shop that made it traditionally via charcoal...
After all those walking, I think I found Nakamise..
isit this one?
I also found the amusement park, Hanayashiki.
Hanayashiki has this souvenir shop that has this sweet called, "Pinky" sweets but its sold in a box of six. Haha!
Finally found my way out of Asakusa (must have walked a few kilometres that day!) and back to hotel.
hotel entrance, getting ready for the new year
Then it's back to Harajuku for more retail therapy...
lugging the suitcase
Made a stop at KiddyLand.. and noticed something pretty cool
notice the Ayumi Hamasaki logo? heh heh
Unfortunately, most other shops closed early.. as it's New Year's Eve! Big day big day!
all things pink, went in there on our Harajuku day already
For that night, we ate at Yoshinoya.
beef bowl, with miso soup and kimchi
the kimchi was nice
To end the night, we went back to Shibuya to take the train back to Hanzomon..
byebye Shibuya
Arrived at the Asakusa station, and chose one auspicious exit...
Apparently, sightseeing tours by rickshaw is popular in Asakusa...
rickshaw sightseeing tour
I think there's more than 1 operator..
interesting costume
But these guys speaks in Japanese, so not sure if gaijin are supposed to take the tour or just locals. I've seen female pullers as well.. strong ya!
Another thing I've noticed in Asakusa was that the people who ride bicycles, rode it fast and furious.. especially at traffic lights... swooosh! They'll zoom past you criss cross the junction as they're in a hurry to catch the green light!
mild riders, for illustration haha!
Soon, we found shopping area and hence, took time to look at their wares...
shopping area
There's this shop that sells all bags at 10,000 yen. Quite cool. I also found a shop selling blueberry.. that looked like burberry haha!
we were at this area first.. i think this one not Nakamise right?
Got lots of interesting stuffs to see, for example:
shop selling... trunks?!
Soon we moved out to the outdoor area.
I like all these rustic feel kind of shops.
interesting figurine, i think its to prevent vehicles from coming into that area
Also noticed that some shops have interesting features:
figurine on the roof
another figurine for the kimono shop
another one here!
Omoshiroii desu! The back alley seemed less crowded, so usually I'll take that route.
quiet back alley
Saw this interesting toy shop that sells retro toys.. or rather, limited edition retro ones?
cool, right?
After which, I lost the kids and their mom! So after texting Gina to inform her of the situation, I went on a semi sightseeing semi looking out for the lost sheeps.
feels like festivities
Sensoji priests residence?
It sure felt peaceful looking inside Denbo-in, but outside sure got alot of people heading towards the temple.
look at the crowd..
five storey pagoda.. i think
Outside, there are stalls selling auspicious stuffs. But got this one stall that has Hello Kitty items!
i think these are charms?
Didn't go inside the temple, so moved about the area exploring nooks and corners...
walk and walk...
interesting shop that has a samurai picture, but is actually an antique shop
But what caught my attention, were these:
so beautiful, right?
Then I walked past these:
old and rustic
modern buildings.. of course, when i see this.. i was already a little lost
Then, best if I go and seek some divine help...
greeted by this dragon...
It's actually a shrine for the raccoon or known as tanuki in Japanese. Apparently I'm at the Chingodo shrine. It is said that Otanuki-sama, is a deity believed to protect people and their homes from calamities like fire and theft. In the same hall, there's also a statue of Mizuko Jizo, of which according to wikipedia, Mizuko refers to unborn children or infants who have died.
There's a beautiful pond and garden, beyond Chingodo shrine.
Then I walked and walked again, and I saw these:
still lost...
must check properly..
oooh.. i've reached kaminarimon
thunder gate
But I was also cold and hungry.. wind was blowing till it toppled a couple of those parked bicycle!
getting ready for the evening
So went to find food. Passed by alot of those drinking joints.. and oden stalls, but I thought it'd be difficult to order since I my Japanese is just half-past six.. so chose a ramen shop (vending machine style).
hot ramen on a cold day.. itadakimasu! (costs 290 yen only!)
The snacks around that area seemed to be crackers. Found one shop that made it traditionally via charcoal...
After all those walking, I think I found Nakamise..
isit this one?
I also found the amusement park, Hanayashiki.
Hanayashiki has this souvenir shop that has this sweet called, "Pinky" sweets but its sold in a box of six. Haha!
Finally found my way out of Asakusa (must have walked a few kilometres that day!) and back to hotel.
hotel entrance, getting ready for the new year
Then it's back to Harajuku for more retail therapy...
lugging the suitcase
Made a stop at KiddyLand.. and noticed something pretty cool
notice the Ayumi Hamasaki logo? heh heh
Unfortunately, most other shops closed early.. as it's New Year's Eve! Big day big day!
all things pink, went in there on our Harajuku day already
For that night, we ate at Yoshinoya.
beef bowl, with miso soup and kimchi
the kimchi was nice
To end the night, we went back to Shibuya to take the train back to Hanzomon..
byebye Shibuya
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